Oxford native selected as Itawamba band member

Members of CenterStage, Itawamba Community College’s pop show, band and crew, have been selected for 2015-16. Among the band members is Johnny Dennis of Oxford.

Deadline approaching for comment on standards

JACKSON — Education stakeholders have until Sept. 15 to provide feedback on the Mississippi College and Career-Ready Standards (MCCRS). The standards describe what students are expected to know and be able to do by the end of each grade.

Participants may provide input online through the MCCRS Feedback Forum. The forum is available at mississippi.statestandards.com.

Since the Feedback Forum launched on June 15, participants have provided close to 7,000 items of input on the English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics standards. Commenters have identified themselves as educators, parents, business people or community members. Thus far, more than 90 percent of participants have indicated their approval of the state’s academic standards.

The Mississippi Department of Education launched the 90-day MCCRS Feedback Forum to encourage stakeholders to read the standards and either submit comments in support of the standards or provide specific, actionable feedback on any standards of concern.

At the end of the comment period, input provided about specific standards will be evaluated by a team of Mississippi educators, content specialists in math and ELA, as well as higher education representatives. The team will then make recommendations on any changes to the Mississippi Board of Education for its consideration no later than December. Any adjustments approved by the board would become effective in the 2016-2017 school year.